Encouragement feeds development

It is a good few years now since Inside Out Image was born. When I established it, the name came from a desire to really help people with their image and impact from the starting point of who they are and their professional situation; as opposed to making them someone they are not, like others etc. That is still the case.
However, I have noticed something recently, specifically with a non-client and a client. More about them in a minute….
I had read in Amy Cuddy’s book ‘Presence’, amongst others, about acting in a certain way to shift how you feel about something and make it easier to communicate what you want to. I suppose I’ve been a bit dubious about the ease and longevity of that.
What I have experienced though in the two people I have mentioned is an increased presence, confidence and impact from being appointed to a new role.
The first is a client of mine who holds a pivotal role in an organisation. As part of considering which aspects of her impact to work on, I spoke to others who work with her. Several times the comment was made that since being appointed to her new position, her confidence and impact had increased. This has improved her credibility in the role.
Likewise with the non-client I mentioned, now she is in a more formalised role in her organisation, her all round presence and engagement of her audience has improved – in her voice but also visually through her appearance and body language.
So what has made the difference? These examples would strongly point to validation and recognition by others. Sure, this might not make a difference to every personality type but it begs the question ‘what more could people in your team achieve if they got more recognition and validation for their work?’. It doesn’t have to be about creating new roles and offering promotions, the little things will help to build people over time.
Of course it is chicken and egg, as to have the opportunity to show the positives, people need to be trusted to give things a go, whether just smaller things in the day-to-day or as part of a new role. It’s not to say this is enough either to bring about the full extent of potential development. With my client, myself and a voice coach I work with have helped her build on all aspects of her presence and impact. Encouragement and recognition are a good start though and all of us can do that for someone in our work context.
If you feel you are facing a block in your career or see someone in your team not achieving their potential, feel free to contact me for a no obligation conversation [email protected]. Also, consider reading Amy’s book it’s a great one and if you want help putting it into action (other than from Amy!), get in touch.Image courtesy of freeimages.com/AnteVekic